Red-Light Runners Injure Pedestrians

Cyclists have caused a record number of pedestrian injuries, and half of them confess to recklessly running red lights daily.

For the year 2024, police recorded 603 accidents in which a civilian was injured in a bike collision, according to Department for Transport road casualty figures.

Meanwhile, in 2023, 507 similar injuries were reported. 

Last year also made a record for the most casualties involving cyclists on pavements and at zebra crossings, as 321 incidents were recorded – a nine per cent increase from the 292 in 2023.

Two pedestrians were killed in 2024 in a cycling collision. 

Meanwhile, 52 per cent of cyclists in London admitted to running red lights – with 16 per cent, or almost one in six, confessing they did so regularly, a study by e-bike provider Lime revealed.

Cyclists on the roads daily were the worst culprits, as 58 per cent of them said they wheel directly past red lights.

It is illegal to run a red light even as a cyclist, yet many continue to disregard the rules and put pedestrians at risk. 

Ten times more cyclists than drivers have been fined for running red lights in one of London’s busiest districts.

Some 284 people have been fined so far this year for not stopping at traffic lights while riding bikes in the City of London, compared to just 25 drivers.

And one in six bike riders admits to repeatedly disregarding traffic light signals to stop.

There has been growing pressure on the government to take greater steps to safeguard pedestrians and to regulate road safety for bikers.

City of London Police say they are carrying out a new crackdown on cyclists who disregard regulations, with many more doing so compared to drivers in the region. 

They have said they want to be able to introduce harsher penalties to cyclists who do not stop at red lights and have requested that the government raise the penalty.

Fines for cyclists running red lights are set at £50, while drivers must pay £100 – with the money going to the Treasury – and receive three points on their licence.

The study demonstrated 82 per cent of the capital’s cyclists, more than four in five, recognised that going through traffic lights was dangerous – yet 13 per cent of those committing the crime were unaware it is even illegal.

Some 71 per cent of London bikers say there should be harsher penalties for running red lights, according to the new poll of more than 1,000 cyclists across the city.

Lime is now launching its own new safety campaign, dubbed ‘Respect the Red’ – installing safety messages at high-traffic cycling hotspots and key junctions.

City of London Corporation figures show cycling in the area has risen by 50 per cent in the past two years. 

And capital-wide statistics indicate there are now 1.33 million daily cycle journeys across the entirety of London. 

It was not a smart idea to change the law to prioritise cyclists in its current form. They should bring in compulsory licensing, insurance and road tax for cyclists. Cyclists are not accountable, so make them accountable! And a lot of cyclists now seem to expect that pedestrians should give way for them.

You can’t even trace these cyclists because they have no number plate, so they can get away with whatever they want.

All those Lime rental bikes are a danger and need to be removed because some of the people riding them don’t have a clue, and don’t have any respect or appreciation for what else is going on around them.